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Islamic State deliberately targeting Mosul civilians, report finds

Civilians have been caught in the crossfire as Iraqi and coalition forces try to recapture Mosul from IS, according to Human Rights Watch. Residents reportedly fear being used as "human shields" by the jihadi group.

"Islamic State" (IS) fighters are deliberately targeting civilians who refuse to join them as they retreat from the city of Mosul, in northern Iraq, an international human rights watchdog said on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said IS had "indiscriminately attacked civilian areas" with mortar rounds and explosives and "deliberately shot at fleeing residents."

According to accounts from Mosul residents, documented by HRW, members of IS began rounding up civilians as Iraqi military forces advanced in an attempt to reclaim the city. Those who refused to leave with IS were branded "unbelievers" and, according to IS tenets a "valid target."

Residents reportedly feared that they would be used as "human shields" if they went with the jihadis.

The report by HRW is based on interviews it conducted in early December with 50 people who had fled eastern Mosul to the Kurdish region of Iraq, where they were receiving medical treatment.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the violence in Mosul over the past two years

One former Mosul resident told HRW that a mortar attack by IS on November 25 struck her family's home in the Aden district of the city.

"We were just finishing our breakfast and removing our plates from the table when the shelling started," she said. "My mother was killed. The rest of us were injured. So many of our neighbors were killed - the elderly, women, children."

According to the human rights office of the United Nations, locals reported that IS had shot dead 12 civilians in Mosul's Bakr neighborhood on November 12 for refusing to give them access to the rooftops of their homes, from which IS wanted to launch rockets.

Caught in the crossfire

Strikes by Iraqi or coalition forces have also resulted in civilian casualties, according to the testimonies collected by HRW. One resident described one such airstrike that hit his home saying, "The house collapsed - the ceiling fell down on us. I saw the shrapnel hit my grandmother in the head. She died immediately."

He added that neighbors later informed him that the same strike had killed four IS fighters who had opened fire on Iraqi military forces near his house.

Strikes against IS by the Iraqi military have reportedly caused civilian deaths in Mosul

"The presence of IS fighters among civilians does not absolve anti-IS forces from the obligation to target only military objectives," HRW said. The organization called for both sides in the conflict to "take all feasible precautions" to protect civilians from harm.

Iraqi security forces, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes, launched an offensive in October to recapture Mosul from IS, who had seized control in June 2014. The operation's progress has slowed as it pushed into more densely populated areas.

According to the United Nations, 332 civilians were killed in the Nineveh governate, of which Mosul is the provincial capital, in November.

rls/sms (AP, HRW)

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where did it come from?

The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where does it operate?

IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Who is fighting back?

The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

How does it fund itself?

One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where does it carry out attacks?

IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

What other tactics does it use?

The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

How has it impacted the region?

IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.